Laser printers and ink jet printers have spawned a wide variety of options for personal printing that have not existed previously. A personal computer user can now prepare text on a word processing program and print the text directly onto sheets that pass through the laser or ink jet printer. Such sheets may consist of paper, labels applied to a backing sheet, card stock and a variety of other materials. The sheets may have a variety of different dimensions and can usually be fed into the laser or ink jet printer through a standard paper tray.
One way in which secretaries, in particular, have used laser and ink jet printers has been to print reminder notes and telephone messages on full-sized sheets of paper. A secretary will often post such a note on a surface for someone else to see, such as on a file or on a computer screen. To hold the note in place, the secretary will often use a clip or tape.
This approach has at least two drawbacks that become apparent in every day use. First, the secretary frequently does not really need to print on a full sheet of paper, particularly for brief messages. A smaller sheet of paper would be usually provide sufficient space for a message, and paper is wasted when a full sheet is used.
Secondly, the secretary must have tape or a clip nearby in order to attach the sheet to the desired surface. If the secretary is out of tape or clips and the sheet is not attached to a surface or file, the sheet may get lost and the message never delivered.
With the introduction of adjustable manual feed guides such as those found on the Hewlett Packard LaserJet II, III and IV laser printers and other printers, users may now print on sheets smaller than the typical 81/2.times.11 inch full sheet size. For example, many laser printers may print sheets that are as small as 4 inches long and 3 inches wide. However, to print message notes smaller than a full sheet, the user typically must cut full-sized sheets down to size. Even then, the user must have tape or clips nearby in order to post the message notes.